Green Smoothies

Don't confuse green smoothies with green health drinks on the market today. While both claim to be good for you, a green smoothie tastes more like a shake and provides living food to nourish your body. They're delicious and nutritious.

Green smoothies have the consistency of a shake and often have a sweet flavor to them. Another thing that surprises some people is that green smoothies are not always green in color. Instead, they are called a green smoothie because they are a tasty and convenient way to add greens to your diet. Other ingredients vary but common elements of a green smoothie include water a variety of greens.

Don't limit your selection of leafy greens to spinach and lettuce. Consider items like:

• Collard greens
• Turnip greens
• Kale
• Leaf lettuce
• Mustard greens
• Red tipped lettuce
• Other green vegetables

This includes natural sugars such as:

• Agave
• Coconut milk
• Fruit
• Honey

Smoothies have long been a staple for vegetarians and vegans, and green smoothies are a perfect way for people to change over to a raw food diet. When they're made right, they taste good and are a great source all kinds of minerals and vitamins. Raw foodists believe these uncooked nutrients offer a better source—a living source that provides enzymes that also assist in the digestion process.

While there are a number of good books on the market that offer green smoothie recipes, it doesn't take much to figure out what you need to make a green smoothie that you like once you know the basics. Just use ingredients you enjoy. If you're worried about starting out using greens like spinach, use romaine lettuce instead. Try for darker green leaves for the best nutrition. Start out with a couple of cups of greens and water in your blender. Puree or liquefy and then add fruit or other sweetener. Adding a frozen banana gives the smoothie a creamy, sweet thickness like a milk shake. Along with this you can add the fruit of your choice. If you use frozen fruit your smoothie will maintain the shake-like taste and look. Frozen fruits can include these or other fruits:

• Blackberries
• Blueberries
• Peaches
• Pineapple
• Raspberries
• Strawberries

If you'd rather not have a frozen delight, use fresh instead of frozen fruit. Fruits like apples, kiwi, nectarines, oranges, etc. add sweetness without the frozen texture. For a sweeter taste, add honey or agave.

For the best nutritional impact, choose fresh greens for your smoothies. It's best to use greens within about ten to 12 days from the time they are purchased. Buying local produce often ensures a fresher selection because it hasn't made the road trip by truck or train from another state or country. When you get your greens home, take the time to wash them and then store them in a plastic bag or container to help them retain their freshness.

Along with leafy greens, you have a whole host of green veggies to choose from. Vegetables in the cabbage family have been shown to help fight cancer, and you'd be surprised to learn that you can add them to a smoothie that still tastes sweet!

Green smoothies provide numerous benefits because they help people to eat sufficient quantities of greens as part of their daily diet. Different types of fresh greens offer a variety of advantages based on the nutrients they contain. Check specific nutritional data on different greens and you may be surprised to find that not only do they contain vitamins and minerals but also protein. According to the Engine 2 Diet, "spinach is 51 percent protein." Other nutrients found in spinach include:

• Niacin
• Zinc
• Dietary Fiber
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin K
• Thiamin
• Riboflavin
• Vitamin B6
• Folate
• Calcium
• Iron
• Magnesium
• Phosphorus
• Potassium
• Copper
• Manganese

You get all that in one cup of raw spinach. Think of the health benefits you'll enjoy by adding fresh green smoothies to your daily diet.

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